War Against Wind

Friday, September 29, 2006

Department of Defense Wind Farms and Radar Report

This Report just released by the US Department of Defense shows that wind farms can and do interfere with military and air traffic control radar. For years, the wind industry, particularly Cape Wind, has been attempting to downplay this issue as just another political attempt to stop the building of some (Their) wind farms. The study proves that the issue is not only real but to date there are no mitigation techniques to solve the problem other than moving the turbines elsewhere.

Additionally, Cape Wind has been citing a report by the FAA stating "no hazard" to aviation and an Air Force letter saying the project would "pose no threat to the operation of PAVE PAWS radar." as proof of no radar interference and aviation hazards from their proposed 130 417 foot tall turbines in the middle of the Nantucket Sound and in line of three airports and military radar at Pave Paws.

The 62-page report, prepared for Congress by the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, specifically concludes that previous analysis of the effects on the PAVE PAWS radar station were ''overly simplified and technically flawed.''

The report calls for a more comprehensive study ''on an expedited basis.''

That conclusion stands in stark contrast to earlier correspondence from federal officials that found the Nantucket Sound project would pose no hazard.

In fact, whenever questions about radar interference were brought up before, Cape Wind officials would cite a 2003 letter from the Federal Aviation Administration that affirmed ''no hazard'' to aviation, and a 2004 Air Force letter that said the project would ''pose no threat to the operation of the PAVE PAWS radar.''

At last, the truth is being publicly exposed and it is up to each and every one of us to read the report for ourselves in order to understand this significant hazard to national security and public safety. In all real estate it is location, location, location.

The proposed Cape Wind project is in the wrong location for all... people and wildlife.

Read the full report HERE reproduced by WindStop.org Please note pages 54-55 on PAVE PAWS and the Nantucket Sound.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

NIMFY: An Ounce of Conservation is Worth a Pound of Cure

I agree with Carl Safina's statement "Americans insist on wasting energy and needing more. We will affect the natural view of a famously beautiful piece of America's ocean and still not develop a plan to conserve energy." in an article on wind power and in reference to the proposed Cape Wind project.

We have no plan and there is no implementation of conservation in this country. Let's start there and then utilize sources of alternative energy that will help not harm our natural resources, beautiful land and seascapes. It is putting the cart before the horse to do other wise and it is dangerous.

Conservation is the cheapest and most doable way to cut back on noxious emissions and make use of the energy we have now rather than wasting it and adding more sources on top that will simply be used up requiring more and more. America is less addicted to oil than it is to waste.

An ounce of Conservation is worth a pound of cure.

Former President Carter says “Reduce the demand through conservation. Our emphasis on conservation is a clear difference between this plan (Carter’s 10 Principles) and others which merely encouraged CRASH PRODUCTION EFFORTS. Conservation is the quickest, cheapest, most practical source of energy. Conservation is the only way we can buy a barrel of oil for a few dollars. It costs about $13 to waste it."

Projects like Cape Wind which attempt to take over 24 square miles of a public resource by a private developer are harmful not only to the delicate ocean ecology but to the community that doesn't want it. But they are labeled rich NIMBYS. Rich couldn't be further from the truthbut as to NIMBY:

I believe it is not the NIMBY title it is the NIMFY title that most aptly represents the issue. When something you do not want is about to be placed in your Front Yard you begin to look deeply into the issues. When it is about to be placed in someone else's 'back yard' you don't.Human nature. Out of sight out of mind.

LTE from The Herald, UK on NIMBY (NIMFY)"A research team at the University of Barcelona found that local protesters often address real issues of bad planning that are ignored or discounted by authorities and developers. The study showed that nimbys could prevent the destruction of rural amenities, and often work against public policy which avours private interests. The director of the project, Dr Valeria Carril, commented: "Nimbys are in factprotecting the whole community from decisions that might not be in the best interests of the locality. The interest of the developers is obviously to make a profit but will they do anything for the quality of life of the rest of the community? The answer is often No, and so the protesters are an essential part of getting the proper arguments and merits of any plan discussed."

Monday, September 04, 2006

The Emperor's New Clothes; A Wind Industry Parody

Once upon a time there lived People who were quite average, intelligent and caring, with one exception: they cared a lot about being politically correct. One day they heard from a swindler named The Wind Turbine Industry that they could save on their electric bills, halt global warming, lessen their dependency on foreign oil and not hurt wildlife and our precious land and sea scapes. These turbines, they said, also had the special capability that they were invisible to anyone who was either to stupid, hypocritical or NIMBY enough not to to see the truth.Being a bit nervous about whether they themselves would be able to see the wind turbines, they first sent two of their trusted men, a politician and a news reporter to see them. Of course, neither would admit that they could not see the turbines and so they praised them. People around the world had also heard of the turbines and were interested to learn how stupid and NIMBY their neighbors were.The People then allowed themselves to carry the turbines in a procession through town, never admitting that they couldn’t see the turbines at all. For they were afraid that the other people would think that they were stupid, hypocritical and NIMBY.Of course, all the townspeople wildly praised the magnificent turbines, afraid to admit that they could not see them, until a small child said:"But there is nothing there "!This was whispered from person to person until everyone in the crowd was shouting that the there were no turbines, no answers to global warming, no reduction in their electric bills, no lessening of their dependence on foreign oil and they would indeed harm wildlife and their precious land and sea scapes. Soon, all of the People heard it and knew they were correct but they held their heads high and finished the procession anyway.The moral of the story: “Just because everyone else believes something, doesn’t mean it is true."Ironically, the real "The Emperor's New Clothes" is a Danish fairy tale, written my Hans Christian Anderson published in 1837. Why ironic? Because it is the Danish Wind Industry, along with other industrial wind turbine manufacturers, politicians and news media, that are attempting to involve the world in a conspiracy where the purposely frightened unempowered people have been duped into accepting a collective ignorance with regards to wind power's ability to 'save the planet'. Some of us see it and call out "But there is nothing there "! Still in spite of world-wide opposition, common sense and knowledge of the facts, politicians, the media, the wind industry and other powerful groups continue to ignore what is absurdly obvious and keep heading down their merry paths to The Bank.

Against the Wind

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Who Will Protect Nature Now?

Who will protect nature now that wildlife organizations have turned their backs on her? The people who care and will stand up and let their voices be heard for those who can't speak for themselves.

There was a time that I proudly claimed to be an environmentalist but no longer. Being an environmentalist now seems to mean to hell with nature that is alive today, let's allow her to be destroyed now so one day we can save her. The logic is astoundingly duplicitous and arrogant.

Organizations like Greenpeace should be dissolved based on that alone. Their members should leave in droves. They have been betrayed and used to further an agenda that their membership would never for a minute accept. Most people join these groups to save and protect nature not to use her as a sacrificial lamb for climate change. State Audubon's all across the country are doing the same and those groups deserve to be disbanded as well.

The hypocrisy these groups are showing is appalling. They have sold out for money, recognition, political agendas and power and have forgotten their missions to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

In the State of Massachusetts we are in an enormous battle with a private developer who seeks to slip through a federal loop-hole in ocean management before any regulations are developed and take over 24 square miles of the Nantucket Sound for his industrial 130 turbine wind power plant which will be as large as the Island of Manhattan. This entire area was designated as a marine sanctuary by the State of Massachusetts to protect the marine ecology and endangered bird life there. Yet, because of a donut-sized hole of federal waters in the center of the Nantucket Sound, he might get his way. If he does, a precedent will be set and more and more industrial development will follow which might very well include drilling for oil and other destructive industry to the natural habitats and delicate ecology of the area.

The developer, Cape Wind, headed by Jim Gordon of Energy Management Inc, a former marketing king and developer of many energy projects including a diesel power plant proposed for a poor, already polluted city of Chelsea, MA, across from an elementary school. Cape Wind is now being backed and promoted by Massachusetts Audubon. Why? Because of the money (a contract worth millions of dollars) they have set as a condition of final approval for their Adaptive Management plan i.e. to monitor the dead birds over at least a three year period resulting from a project known to kill birds. What is the loss of some birds when compared to global warming, they say. Global Warming? Give us a break! Would anyone bring their vulnerable child to a pediatrician who announced "What is the loss of a few children when compared to famine in a third world country?" Not I and not You! Yes, I care about famine and yes I will donate money to an organization that is set up to help in that cause but no, I will not allow my child's pediatrician to diminish and abandon the life of my child for the sake of something he is not set up to do anything about.

WE who love and appreciate Nature and our precious wildlife who already suffer at the bottom of the barrel in terms of a voice, need to stand up and be heard on her behalf. If we don't, no one will.

Please Join the People World-Wide who are Fighting to Save our Precious Wildlife and their Threatened Habitats from Industrial Wind Plants

For more information on Industrial Wind Plants and to join a group near you please contact: donatracy@hotmail.com